In the processing and packaging of semiconductor devices or other devices, ultrasonic wire bonding (e.g., ball bonding, wedge bonding, ribbon bonding, etc.) continues to be a widely used method of providing electrical interconnection between two locations (e.g., between a die pad of a semiconductor die and a lead of a leadframe). An upper end of a bonding tool is, in many instances, configured to be engaged in a transducer (e.g., an ultrasonic transducer) of an ultrasonic bonding system which causes the bonding tool to vibrate during bonding. Ultrasonic wire bonding is a joining process that, for example, uses relative motion between the wire and an underlying surface (e.g., a bonding location of a substrate) to facilitate bonding of the wire to that underlying surface. This relative motion is provided by a tip portion of the wire bonding tool.
Wedge bonding is one well known type of wire bonding. Wedge bonding tools (sometimes referred to as “wedges” and “bonding wedges”, which may be formed from a number of materials such as steel, tungsten, tungsten carbide, silicon carbide, etc.) are intended to provide a scrubbing motion along on or more axes. In many conventional wedge bonding systems, the desired scrubbing motion is along a single substantially linear motion direction such as, for example, the x-axis of the wedge bonding system, the y-axis of the wedge bonding system, etc.
Although the desired scrubbing motion may be along a single motion axis, non-desirable scrubbing motions may also occur along one or more additional axes. These non-desirable scrubbing motions may cause a number of issues, for example: side scooting of a tip portion of the wedge bonding tool; inefficient use of ultrasonic energy; short circuiting between adjacent wedge bonds; wedge bonds that do not stick properly to the appropriate bonding location; issues related to the mechanism (e.g., a set screw mechanism, etc.) used to secure a wedge bonding tool in place with respect to an ultrasonic transducer; amongst others.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide improved wedge bonding tools, improved wedge bonding systems, and related methods of providing/designing such wedge bonding tools and wedge bonding systems.